bionic man
The ‘Iron Man’ suits used by Ford engineers to give them super strength on the production line
The future of manual labour is here. Ford has released footage of a new bionic suit that turns workers on the production line into superhumans
FORD has revealed new bionic suit technology that gives workers on their production line superhuman strength.
The upper body mechanism works like a real-life Iron Man suit, supporting the workers arms and assisting with manual labour tasks.
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Assembly line workers are often required to perform overhead tasks as often as 4,600 times per day, placing a significant physical strain on workers' back, neck, arms and shoulders.
In an attempt to reduce the risk of physical injury and fatigue for their staff, Ford recruited the help of Ekso Bionics in the form of their EksoVest.
The EksoVest helps to elevate and support a person's arms while they work on a underneath of a car that is jacked up above their head on the production line.
The futuristic device can be fitted to support workers ranging from 5 feet tall to 6 feet 4 inches tall, and provides adjustable lift assistance of 2.2kg to 7kg per arm.
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And according to workers, they barely even notice they've got it on, as it’s lightweight and allows them to move their arms freely.
The technology was originally designed for real-world environments like factories, construction sites and distribution centres.
It is thought to be an important development in the future of manual labour, as the powered vest offers protection against fatigue and injury by reducing the strain of high-frequency physical activities.
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Russ Angold, co-founder and chief technology officer of Ekso Bionics, said: “Collaboratively working with Ford enabled us to test and refine early prototypes of the EksoVest based on insights directly from their production line workers.
“The end result is a wearable tool that reduces the strain on a worker’s body, reducing the likelihood of injury, and helping them feel better at the end of the day – increasing both productivity and morale.”
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Ford is currently trialling the technology in two of their US-based manufacturing plants and has plans to test in other areas including Europe and South America.
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